Eobeet hoffman



(Model.)

B. HOFFMAN WIGK TRIMMER. No. 308.849. Patented Aug.'19, 1884.

WITNESSES I INVENTOR fijgyw'y/w B ATTORNEYS.

. UNITED STATES PATENT rEicE.

ROBERT HOFFMAN, OF COHOES, NErV YORK.

WlCK-TRIMMER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 303,849, dated August 19, 1884. Application filed December 516, 1583. (Modem To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT HOFFMAN, of Cohoes, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Lamp-\Vick Trimmer, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip tion. i

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved device for trimming lampwicks which are to have their upper ends rounded.

The invention consists in the combination, with a wick-trimmer,of a clamping-frame for pressing and holding the wick to the edge of levers or blades of the wick-trimmer.

The invention also consists in various parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be "fully set forth hereinafter.

Reference is to he had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved lamp-wick trimmer, the same being shown inverted. Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional elevation of the same.

The trimmer is formed of two levers, A B, pivoted to each other, and provided with handle-loops in the same manner as scissors. The lever A is provided with a flat plate, A, having a flange, G, forming a pan for receiving the carbonized parts out froni the wick, and in its lower surface and at the free edge the plate A is provided with a curved recess, a, which makes the inner edge of the plate A segmental. The lever B is provided with a curved plate, B, on its end, which plate B fits over the curved edge 01" the plate A. On the under side of the plate A two ridges or lugs, d, are formed, which extend from the outer curved edge of the said plate over the flat part to the inner curved edge of the recess a, and serve to guide the longitudinallyslotted stem D of a clamping-frame, E, resting on the under surface of the plate A. The outside piece, E, of the frame E is curved to fit against the curved inner edge of the plate A, the said edge and the inner edge of the piece E being serrated transversely,or roughserrated edge of the plate A.

ened in any other suitable manner. A screw, F, is passed through the slot of the stem D into the under surface of the plate A, for the purpose of holding the frame E on the plate A. At its free end the stem D is provided with an upwardly-projecting flange, D, between which and the flange G a spiral spring, G, is held. The flange G is provided on its outer edge with a projection, C, under which the spring G is held. Curved cutting-blades M and N are held on the upper surfaces of the plates A B of the levers A B, the piece E of the frame 1 being held below the project ing part of the blade M on the plate A.

The trimmer is used in the following manner: The end D of the stem D oi'the frame E is pushed in the direction of the arrow c, Fig. 2,whereby the piece E of the frame E is moved from the The wick 0 is then passed through the space between the piece E and the serrated edge of the plate A. It the frame E is released, the spring G- will pressit in the inverse direction of the arrow (4, and the cross-piece E will press the wick against the serrated edge of the plate A. The wick will thus be clamped and held firmly between the serrated edge of the plate'A"and the piece E, and the projecting end of the wick can then be cut off evenly by the blades M and N. modified slightly, can also be applied on wicktrimmers constructed difl'erently from the one described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is i 1. The combination, with a wick-trimmer, of a sliding clamping-frame mounted to slide beneath one of the plates or blades for press ing the wick against the edge of the said plate or blade or blades, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination, with a wick-trimmer, of a clamping-frame for pressing the wick against one of the levers or blades, and of aspring for acting on the said frame, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. The combination, with a wick-trimmer having the edge of thelowerleverserrated of a The wick-clamping frame E, it

clamping-frame having a serrated cross-piece I end, D,vand of the spring G, heldbetween for pressing the Wick againstthe serrated edge one of the levers and the angular end D, snb- IO of the lever, substantially as herein shown and stantially as herein shown and described. described.

5 4. The combination, With a Wick-trimmer, ROBERD HOFFMAN of the sliding clamping-frame E, provided NVitnesses: with a stem, I), mounted to slide on the un- JAMES S. OLUTE, V der side of plate A, and having an angular J AMES EDWARD MUssEY. 

